WHO validates Australia as first high-income nation to eliminate trachoma

AUSTRALIA—The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Australia for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem, making it the first high-income country to achieve this milestone and advancing global efforts against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

The validation confirms that trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, no longer poses a public health threat in Australia.

The achievement places Australia among 63 countries globally and 16 in the WHO Western Pacific Region that have eliminated at least one NTD.

Australia now joins countries including Algeria and Libya, which also secured WHO validation within recent months.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the milestone as a reflection of sustained public health commitment and strong collaboration.

“This success reflects decades of coordinated action and a determined focus on communities most affected by health inequities,” he said.

The recognition comes as the WHO intensifies efforts under its 2021–2030 NTD road map, which aims to eliminate at least one neglected tropical disease in 100 countries by the end of the decade.

Decades of community-led action

Trachoma is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and spreads through contact with infected eye or nose discharge, contaminated surfaces, and flies.

Repeated infections can scar the inner eyelid, causing eyelashes to turn inward and scratch the cornea, which can eventually lead to blindness if left untreated.

Although the disease had largely disappeared from most parts of Australia decades ago, it persisted in some remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Australia intensified its response in 2006 through the National Trachoma Management Programme, which adopted WHO’s SAFE strategy—surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement.

Regular screening in at-risk communities, combined with timely treatment and health education, significantly reduced infection rates.

Public health teams also improved access to clean water, sanitation, and housing infrastructure, addressing environmental factors that allowed the disease to spread.

Unlike some countries that relied heavily on mass drug administration, Australia tailored its response through targeted treatment informed by community-level surveillance data.

Leadership from indigenous communities

Australian Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler credited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership for the achievement.

“This milestone reflects decades of sustained investment, community commitment, and culturally safe healthcare delivery led by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations,” he said.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy also highlighted the role of local health workers in remote First Nations communities, noting that their leadership proved essential to eliminating the disease.

WHO Western Pacific Regional Director Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala said Australia’s success demonstrates that elimination is possible even in geographically challenging settings when governments invest strategically and work closely with communities.

Maintaining vigilance

WHO has urged Australia to maintain strong surveillance systems to prevent re-emergence, particularly in remote regions.

The milestone comes as Australia continues addressing other endemic NTDs, including Buruli ulcer, leprosy, and scabies, while strengthening broader efforts to improve health equity for underserved populations.